Our profession was birthed as the veritable ‘12th rib’ of nursing by assuming tasks and treatments that our nursing colleagues graciously handed off to our new profession of Inhalation Therapy. In the day, our value was measured by getting the treatments done, checking the vents, clocking oxygen hours and other tasks that were valued as much for the revenue we produced for our organizations than the quality of care we delivered. We thought we consistently delivered quality care based on science…or did we?

There is little doubt the medical director is a key member of any respiratory care program. His/her active participation participating in the respiratory care program is paramount to the administration and educational success of the program. Attend this session and learn the essential roles, duties and responsibilities of a highly competent and engaged medical director.

The AARC, NBRC and CoARC have been working on the development of a new professional and career advancement opportunity for respiratory therapists – the Advanced Practice Respiratory Therapist (APRT). This presentation will describe resources available to programs to facilitate the process of establishing interest and need for an APRT program and describe resources available to programs to facilitate curriculum development for an APRT program. In addition, pathways from RRT to APRT will be highlighted.

Burnout in health care is common, particularly in high intensity professions and it significantly impacts patient care on. The problem has been exacerbated by COVID-19 and recent data suggests that respiratory care is not immune. Training programs for physicians are also affected with a recent study documenting a 40% burnout rate for Pulmonary/Critical Care fellows. Respiratory care programs are also likely impacted, although data is limited. The session will identify risk factors for burnout and tools for identifying at-risk students and providers. Countermeasures to improve resiliency borrowed from other health care professions will be presented.

This presentation will review the principles of leadership and change. Characteristics of effective leaders will be reviewed in an evidence-based and interactive format. Models of change will also be reviewed with the goal of providing the respiratory therapist a way of leading and understanding change initiatives in an optimal way.

If you ask any department head how they became the boss, most will share a familiar story: “I was a pretty good RT and most people liked me, so they asked me to fill in.” We have a horrible habit in health care of taking a great clinician and making them a mediocre manager. This occurs because we don’t prepare managers and leaders for success. But what does respiratory therapy need, a manager or a leader?

Supporting and developing leaders is vital to our future, thus the birth of the Leaders Association for Respiratory Services (LARS). This panel will discuss the 2020-2021 LARS pilot project, the trials and tribulations of leadership development during COVID-19, and how collaborative learning can transform the leaders of Respiratory Care.

Recruiting qualified staff is a major duty for RT Managers. Tim will describe the steps commonly involved in recruiting a new staff member. He will describe strategies for getting the most out of each portion of the process, as well as how to effectively work with the HR Department. Acquiring skills in this area is critical for an RT Manager to develop an excellent Respiratory Care Department.